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Gambellan Voice, Tribune, Resource and Fearless Monitor

Refugee Kidnapped in Juba and Extradited to Ethiopia

By Obang O, December 17, 2013 (Minnesota, USA) – South Sudan security agency has kidnapped David Ojulu, an Anuak refugee in Juba and illegally extradited him to Ethiopia. There were many illegal extraditions which have taken place over the years, just to name a few in April 2012 three unarmed Anuak men were murdered in a cold blood in Pochalla county, South Sudan and fifteen were extradited to Ethiopia.

Given the historically and culturally ties, South Sudan should have been the last country to kidnap and extradite the Anuak refugees to Ethiopia. This issue has been brought to Dr. Rick Machar (former vice president) attention on his last visit to the USA but futile.

One would wonder if South Sudan is an independent state or a colony of the Ethiopia government. No country on this planet earth would allow illegal extradition of the refugees where they face imminent death. Ethically and morally it is wrong, if South Sudan doesn’t wants the Gambella Refugees in Juba, have the United Nation resettle them to a third country.

It is common knowledge that refugees are protected under the United Nations law. Although, South Sudan is a young nation she must adhere to the international law.

Not very long ago that they were the victims of the Khartoum regime, where the Arabs mistreated the black Africa. South Sudan should have drawn a parallel line to what is going on in Gambella, Ethiopia. A brief summary, on Dec 13, 2003 over four hundred Anuak men were slaughtered in a single day. The Anuak lands were taken and given to the foreign investors without their consents. Furthermore, they were forced into concentration camp so called villagization. Many intellectuals Anuak have been jailed and some have disappeared without a trace.

During the Sudan civil war the host countries (Kenya and Uganda) never kidnapped the South Sudanese refuges and illegal extradited them to Khartoum government. Other than the four thousands troop stationed in Abyei till the demarcation of the border, South Sudan does not get any thing from Ethiopia. That doesn’t meant that the Ethiopian are impartial but rather they want money. Furthermore, the Ethiopian would prefer to work with the Khartoum regime than the South Sudan (black Africans) due to the closed relatedness.

We the Anuak community in USA have condemned the kidnapping and illegal extradition of the Anuak refuges in Juba, South Sudan. Therefore we call on both the United Nation and the host country to protected them.